Easy Virtue
by ravenclawslibrary
Summary: "Virtue is a made up notion that old men use to keep young women in line," Caroline explained, letting him nip at her neck. "It should have no bearing on my desires or yours." Royal court AU/AH somewhere around the Tudor time period. Klaroline smuttiness ensues.
1. Part One: Easy Virtue

**Title**: Part 1: Easy Virtue

**Disclaimer**: Anything TO or TVD related belong to the CW

**Summary: **So the amazing queencmikaelson made a beautiful Klaroline manip of the recent Reign promo picture, and it inspired this smutty oneshot. I'll link to the graphic in my profile so you can all appreciate her wicked talent. Tudor Klaroline for the win! Also I did little to no research on this time period and the proper titles/addresses/wardrobe etc. So don't expect me to get anything right.

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Part 1: Easy Virtue

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The pull of violin strings and the clinking of glasses echoed around the colorfully decorated hall, and all he could think was he still had one more hour before he could excuse himself without appearing unspeakably rude.

One did not leave early from the crown princess's birthday celebration without a damn good excuse.

Especially not the supposed bastard son of the Duke of Wesleton.

Niklaus let his eyes wander and found said princess seated at the head table, luxuriating in the attention of her two suitors from Italy. Neither Salvatore brother should have had a chance at Elena's hand, as it was commonly known that she had been betrothed since birth to another, but still their courting persisted. Next to her, her uncle pretended not to notice the two boys flouting royal decree in his presence.

King Alaric was an idiot in Niklaus' opinion. Taking the throne after the murder of his brother, Alaric had nobly sworn to never take a wife or produce heirs, instead working tirelessly to ensure that Elena was able to take the throne when she came of age, despite her gender. Progressive was a mild word for Alaric's views on the line of succession, but he'd been making headway recently. By year's end, the nobles would give way, and Elena would be on the throne. Niklaus rolled his eyes as Alaric bid his niece goodnight, bending down to kiss her on the cheek before taking his leave. All around the world, brothers slayed each other like beasts in the street for a chance at a crown, and here was this fool, tossing it all away. Ridiculous.

"Don't tell me you have eyes for the princess too, brother?" his youngest brother drew his attention back to their own table. "Or are you just looking to start a fight with a foreigner?"

"Dueling is your passion, Kol, not mine," Niklaus reached to take the wine away from his clearly inebriated sibling. Predictably, his baby brother snagged it back, draining the rest of the goblet before reaching for a refill.

"Speaking of passions…" Kol pointed to their left, directing Niklaus' attention to the sight he'd be steadfastly ignoring all night.

Lady Forbes was holding court again at a table near the back of the hall.

Her sweet laughter rang out as her new Spanish suitor, Lorenzo something-or-other, whispered in her ear. Niklaus watched her amusement turn to shock, her mouth dropping open at whatever lewd comment the man had made this time. She teasingly pushed him away, keeping eye contact with him much longer than a truly scandalized woman would. The intent was, of course, to reassure him that whatever he'd said had not turned her off him. She did however, shift her attention to the next man at her table, fiddling with the locket between her breasts to draw his gaze there. And her game of hearts resumed.

This sight was a weekly occurrence at court, Caroline shuffling through men like no unmarried woman should dare. It was ludicrous, and inappropriate, and entirely unacceptable behavior for a lady of noble birth. It disgusted Niklaus. Truly.

But the lady wasn't technically unmarried was she? Caroline had become a widow at a startlingly early age, and therefore her virtue was not exactly 'at risk' in the same way it would have been were she a maid. And besides, the king was _progressive,_ and Caroline was Elena's childhood friend. So long as her activities remained rumor and hearsay, there was really nothing to be done about it. And somehow, she ensured that her escapades remained entirely private. Perhaps she was just that good in bed?

Niklaus pulled himself away from that line of thought abruptly. The whole debacle made him irrational and uncomfortable. Which his brother liked to point out at every possible opportunity.

"Why don't you go join them, Nik?" Kol taunted. "I'm sure Lady Caroline would enjoy another admirer. There only seem to be two right now, and I saw her juggle more than four last Christmas. She certainly loves her games, doesn't she?"

"I'll not embarrass myself for the sake of her amusement, but have at it if you think you'll succeed."

Kol snickered at the suggestion. "That's an eldest-sons-only club, my friend. Neither of us have a shot really, if we're being honest."

Yes, that was true. Caroline might have played with hearts, but her real target was titles. Most widows would have been content with any husband that would take them, but Caroline was young, beautiful, and charming. Her aims were high. And with only a sick mother to find her suitors, she had to play the game all on her own. Well, at least she excelled at it. She was rich enough to bide her time though, which was apparently pleasing to her as she'd been at court over a year now without an engagement to speak of. She'd not settle for anything less than a Duke or an Earl to keep her in the comfort she was accustomed to, which put Niklaus and Kol right out of the running.

Elijah would inherit their family's title and fortune, while Niklaus would be lucky to get anything at all. If Mikael could have proved he was the son of another man, he would have put Niklaus on the street. Sadly for him, both Niklaus and Rebekah took after their mother in looks, and twenty-three-year-old evidence was hard to come by.

"Well if you're not going to go after any female company tonight, then I'll have to enjoy enough for the both of us," Kol joked, excusing himself from the table, heading for two of Elena's lady's maids.

He'd end up in bed with both of them by the time the clock struck midnight, but that was Kol's way.

Niklaus himself had never had much time for romance. He didn't see the point really, when there were two dozen other matters at hand, not to mention the family drama that seemed to encircle them all at any given moment. Women were time and effort, poems and dancing. It was exhausting to even watch it all, much less participate in it.

From a young age, he'd been removed from the presence of all women, excluding his sister. His own mother had been accused of witchcraft and found a heretic by the time he was ten, and publicly burned before he'd lost all of his baby teeth. He'd always suspected that the accusation had come from Mikael when he'd discovered Esther's infidelity, but he could never prove it. The governess who'd run the household had been excused by his father after that, and the tutors and professors had all been men. It wasn't until Niklaus had finally been introduced to court when he was eighteen that he'd experienced the guiles of the fairer sex, and he had all too surprisingly found them… lacking.

Couldn't these men see through the fake smiles and hooded lashes? What kind of dolts made up the King's court that they could be led this way and that by a low cut corset or a bared shoulder?

He played his part as the son of a prominent Duke over the next few years, flirting with ladies and duchesses when the occasion called for it. Nothing was more dangerous at court than being labeled 'other' just because he wasn't interested in these pea-brained women.

And then there was Caroline.

Their family's first encounter with the lady had been when she'd gone after his brother Elijah. Her conquest ended shortly after Mikael had found out about their entanglement and warned her off. Elijah had spent hours reassuring him that he had no designs on Lady Forbes romantically, nor she on him. Their dancing and horse rides had stopped, as those were all traditional courting methods, but that didn't mean that the friendship between the two hadn't continued. Niklaus had walked in on several of their discussions over the years.

One Sunday, Niklaus had found them arguing in the library, and that was how he'd first met the notoriously flirtatious young woman.

"How can you say that, Elijah? Elena is more than fit to rule," Caroline's angry voice rang out.

"I didn't say she wasn't fit, I said she wasn't capable."

"What on earth is the difference?"

"The difference is that no matter how much schooling or discipline she's had in matters of state, her parliament will never accept the governance of a woman. Divine right or not, they'll never listen to her opinions or her law, which makes her incapable of ruling." Elijah explained, the picture of calm where Caroline was outraged.

"Well that's ludicrous," she argued. "She's a political prodigy, and yet her opinions are considered completely invalid? Just because she happens to be missing a _useless_ bit of dangling flesh between her legs?"

"Caroline!" Elijah chastised her for her candor, but there was laughter in his voice.

"Well I wouldn't say it's entirely useless," Klaus interjected, making his presence known. Caroline and Elijah both turned at his voice, surprised to find that they had another guest to their discussion. "But you'd know more about that than I, wouldn't you Lady Forbes?"

"Niklaus!" Elijah stood up from his reclined position on the chaise, no amusement in his scolding this time. His face was the picture of rage. Apparently gossiping about a lady's reputation at court was fine, but addressing it to her face was rather gauche. Pity. "Caroline, this is my brother, Niklaus. Please forgive his incredible rudeness, it's a fault he's had since birth."

Caroline narrowed her eyes, standing as well and smoothing out her skirts. There were no tears in her eyes nor a blush on her face though, meaning his words hadn't exactly hit her too hard. "No apology necessary my lord," Caroline reverted back to proper etiquette in the presence of a stranger. Or perhaps to negate his accusation that she was anything less than proper. "I assume you're correct, Lord Niklaus. After all, _your_ reputation at court would lead me to believe that you've no experience with these matters at all."

The smirk that painted her face was one of victory at a hit well landed. He tried to grin politely through his anger, but it came out as more of a sneer. How dare she.

Elijah cleared his throat, sensing the tension in the room all too well. "Perhaps it's time-"

"Yes, I should be taking my leave," Caroline interrupted, already heading for the door. "I thank you for your company, my lords. And the discussion, as always, Elijah." And then with a curtsey and a toss of her hair, Caroline disappeared around the corner, skirts rustling and heels clacking angrily.

That first meeting had certainly set the tone of their friendship, for lack of a better word. Rivalry would have been more accurate, but Niklaus didn't like to think of himself as the type to get into squabbles with ladies. No matter if it was his favorite pass time at court these days. Caroline never seemed to be short on fire, and it was all too easy for him to stoke it into a roaring flame of outrage whenever they were in each others' presence. It was only a bit of fun after all.

As if sensing his mocking thoughts, Caroline broke her gaze with her latest companion and shot her eyes directly to him. Her brows drew down and her smile slipped a bit before she resumed her conversation. Her eyes stayed on him though, a new tactic he assumed, to lead her admirer even further into her snare. What was more infuriatingly irresistible than woman who seemed determined to give her attention elsewhere?

Not that he would know. He cared nothing for these games.

He watched the man take hold of her locket, attempting to bring her eyes back to his. He brushed his hands innocently across her covered breasts, presumably enquiring about the trinket. Niklaus nearly snarled. How could she let a stranger touch her like that? How could she grasp his hand and pull the locket back while leaning in close?

Niklaus yanked his chair back from the table. Decorum be damned, he would not sit around and watch Caroline whore in public.

He drew more than a few eyes as he left the party, but that was probably due to his righteous anger more than his untimely exit. He could only thank the heavens that his father was away on business, or he'd be facing a whipping for such a distasteful display in public. He was seeing red as he stormed through the halls, away from the merriment and the wine and the utter depravity occurring right under the King's nose. Perhaps he'd go to the King himself? Petition to have Caroline sent to a nunnery for a year? A fitting punishment for her behavior. Somehow the idea held even less appeal than watching her with her suitors.

The steady clicking of feminine shoes let him know that he was no longer alone. Rebekah maybe? Come to mock the Forbes girl with him probably. For some reason, his sister hated Caroline even more than he did.

"If His Majesty had seen you ruin his niece's fun like that just now, he could have had your head, you know."

Not Rebekah then. He straightened off the wall he'd leaned on to meet Caroline's gaze. Her hands were clasped in front of her properly, but her dress was drooping off one shoulder as if she'd been running. Odd.

"He beheads people for ruining parties now?" Niklaus raised an eyebrow. "Maybe he's not so soft as I believed."

Caroline laughed at his joke, which was strange. They'd barely exchanged a civil word in almost two years, and now they were joking in castle hallways?

"You seemed upset," she dropped the joking manner and moved closer towards him now, looking concerned. "I wanted to make sure it wasn't because of me."

Niklaus glared at her for her assumption. "You give yourself too much credit, Lady Caroline. I hadn't given a thought to you all night."

"Well that's a lie isn't it?" she seemed angry now, stalking close and jabbing a finger against his chest. "I'm not blind, you know. I see how you watch me, and I see how you look at the men I spend my time with. I see you, Niklaus."

"You're too familiar Lady Caroline," he scolded her for her lack of address and propriety. "And you see nothing."

"Oh stop it!" Caroline raged, pushing at him with both hands now. "You drive me mad, I swear! Would you put an end to the formalities and the niceties for once in your life and just tell me what you really think of me-"

He had her pressed to the nearest window in a moment, his mouth fused to hers and his hands everywhere. He heard the slap before he felt it, and by then Caroline had already pushed him halfway across the hall. She was much stronger than she looked, and he doubted even a man of full strength could force himself on her if he tried.

"Forgive me," Niklaus wiped at his mouth, seeing hers smeared red with the shade she'd applied meticulously tonight. "I didn't mean to- I've never in my life-"

Caroline moved towards him then, slowly and cautiously. One would think it was the careful pace of a woman afraid of being accosted, but Niklaus knew better. She stalked him like a lion stalked a lamb, and there was no fear in her step. This was calculated and planned. He was the prey here, not she.

"So it's true then? For all your status and years at court, you're still... untouched?"

He scoffed at the question, not deigning to respond to such a silly implication. Not daring to reveal that she'd hit the nail on the head, for fear of the shame and embarrassment that would swiftly follow her mockery. With his brothers, he could imply and insinuate with the best of them. But somehow she'd known from the start that his reputation was all too true.

"Saving yourself for a wife perhaps?" Caroline kept on, now reaching out to run her hand across the buttons of his overcoat. "Or maybe you're one of those not-so-rare gentlemen who prefers the company of kitchen boys?"

Her hands stopped their caress at that suspicion, probably thinking she was crossing some sort of line, fondling him in a way he would never appreciate if it were true. He banished any notion of that, grabbing hold of her waist and drawing her right up against him, letting her feel how much he wanted her.

"Hardly," he kept his voice low and deep, fearing that the slightest brush of Caroline against him would send him squeaking like a child.

"Ah," Caroline responded. "My mistake."

Niklaus noticed that he'd somehow managed to make Caroline blush for the first time. "This can't be your first stolen kiss in a hallway, Lady Caroline. If we're on the subject of reputations."

Normally any insinuations about her sexual endeavors would have sent her railing at him, but apparently they had reached a détente of sorts in this hallway of theirs. She did not lash out or curse him as she usually did. On the contrary, she brought her arms around him and sunk one hand into his hair. Caroline looked up at him through those hooded eyes he used to mock, and for once he felt the full force of a woman's seduction. She could have told him to stand on his head and count to eleven just now, and he would have merrily gone about the task. Pressed up against him and breathing so sharply? Yes he would have obeyed any command she gave him.

"I chose my lovers quite carefully, Niklaus. No matter what you or anyone at court might think," she explained this all to him while twisting her fingers through his hair and puffing out her words against his skin. "I enjoy the act far more than most women because I've learned how to spot a man's true nature."

"Is that so?" he could hear the shake in voice as well as she could.

"Mhhmm," the softness of her almost-moan sent a shock straight through his system and he had an impossible time not pushing his hips out to greet hers. "My first husband was unspeakably generous, knowing I was young and... untouched." There was that word again, and this time it nearly made his eyes roll back in his head. "He could have been a brute, taking his fill and leaving me with nothing. Instead he delighted in teaching me the ways of seduction and love. I can tell from a man's lightest touch whether he'll be a generous lover. From his darkest gaze what his passions will be. It makes it easy to chose, really. If they match my preferences, I indulge. If not, I move on."

Her words were intoxicating. He found himself running his hands over the tight corset wrapped around her, daring to span across the skin that was bared at the top of her back. It was really a scandalous dress for court, but that was Caroline for you.

"And you don't think this new husband you're hunting for will take issue with your easy virtue?" Niklaus asked, trying to remind himself that he abhorred these practices of hers. Trying to remember his rage at Enzo earlier as he'd dared to kiss her neck. He found it impossible now that he was the one who got to bend down and press his lips there.

His first taste of feminine skin was punctuated with a small gasp from Caroline's lips, and it was like a symphony had started up in his head. So _this_ was what drove men to insanity? It didn't seem so insane to him now.

"Virtue is a made-up notion that old men use to keep young women in line," Caroline went on, letting him nip and suck at her neck. She seemed to enjoy whatever it was he was doing, so he continued. "It should have no bearing on my desires or yours. Most young husbands will be bored and frustrated with a virgin on their wedding night. My husband will know he is getting a woman who has known pleasure and given it in equal measure. He will look forward to our wedding night for months, as he should. My first husband was a great tutor, and I'm very fast study."

"No doubt," Niklaus finally tore himself away from her neck to lean back against the wall and close his eyes. He was dangerously close to crossing a line here, and he needed a moment to clear his head.

Caroline licked her lips, running both hands down his chest to rest at the area where his coat met his pants. "Would you like a tutor, Niklaus?"

His eyes snapped open and he looked down at her with an expression that was probably far too full of wide-eyed innocence. "What?"

"A tutor," she smiled kindly up at him. "It's why you watch me, isn't it? Not because I disgust you like you say, but because you want me. You want to know what I know about making love and stirring passions."

"I-I don't…" he stuttered like a school boy. Perfect.

"You don't… want me?" Caroline asked with a sultry smile. She trailed a hand down further to cup him through his pants. "I don't think that's entirely true."

He couldn't help thrusting into her hand. He groaned at the glorious friction the sudden movement created. Perhaps once more? It was even better the second time, as she tightened her grip.

"What are you doing with me?" he gasped out, eyes locking on to her heaving chest. It seemed he was not the only one breathing hard at this new development between them. "You've got two ready and willing suitors back in that hall, who could please you better than I could. Why not go back to them?"

"I told you," she explained, "I pick my lovers very carefully. You're inexperienced, but you're full of fire. There's something dark and wild in you, Niklaus. Anyone can see it. I've wondered for years why you don't take a lover at court. You have more than enough ladies interested, and you'd soon be a expert at pleasure."

"Those girls are ridiculous," he managed to breath out, still very aware of her hand encircling him, though it had stilled for the moment.

"Yes they are," Caroline agreed. "And you'd have no idea what to do with them."

He frowned at the taunt, and she giggled to see him pout. She raised herself up on her toes, the sleeve of her dress slipping even further off her shoulders, and pressed a hint of kiss to his mouth. This was much nicer than his forceful, sloppy one earlier. She let their breaths mingle for a moment before bringing them together again, this time slipping her tongue into his mouth to brush against his. The whole thing was more erotic than he could have imagined, and he gripped her waist tighter than he should have. They kissed like that for long while, her hand squeezing him lightly every now and then, but her mouth doing most of the work against his.

She was teaching him, he realized slowly. Teaching him how to kiss, and how to remain in control even when his passion was being steadily stoked below. She was teaching him restraint, and seduction, for even as she led him this way and that, she gave him control of the kiss too.

When she finally broke away, she let go of his hardness. "Would you like to take me to bed, Niklaus?"

Her offer floored him, even though he should have been expecting it after all of that. "Would you like me to take you?" he asked unsurely.

"Very much," Caroline's smile was brighter for the blush on her cheeks.

He pulled her along, dragging them both down this hallway and that, stopping every now and then to press each other up against a wall or a tapestry and exchange heated kisses. When they finally made it to his rooms, Niklaus let the full weight of the situation fall on him. He had a woman in his bedroom. She was unlacing her corset - lord knows he would have never known how to unlace it for her - and she was still watching him like he was prey.

He watched her step out of her gown, wearing nothing but a white shift underneath. It was pretty enough, lace trim on the edges sleeves that brushed her shoulders, but the best part of it was that it was thin enough to see her nipples hard and pressing through the material. He gulped harshly. He couldn't help it. It was around that time that he noticed he'd been standing in the middle of the room unmoving. She just smiled at him though, walking to him and pushing him back towards the bed.

"You seem nervous," she teased pulling at the buttons on his coat and firmly sliding it off his shoulders.

"Do I?" he let out a small sound of surprise as one last shove put him sprawled out on top of his sheets, and Caroline relieved him of his shirt. She crawled over, sliding a leg on either side of him and seating herself firmly against his straining erection. His eyes nearly rolled to the back of his head. "Can't imagine why."

He watched her pull at the strings around her bust, pulling the fabric to each side and sliding the underdress off her shoulders. It fell to pool around her waist, exposing a beautiful amount of bare skin to his eyes. His mouth went dry at the sight of her breasts, revealed to him in all their pink and cream glory. His hands remained steadily pressed to the bed though, having no idea what to do with the sight before him.

Caroline let out a tiff and grabbed one of them, "You can touch, Niklaus."

She didn't put his hand directly on the globes his eyes seemed locked to. Instead, she directed him to the skin of her stomach, letting him feel his way around the pale softness. Eventually, he became bold enough to trace the outsides her breasts, and he watched her breath hitch at the barest brush of his fingers. He liked that. Grasping one mound firmly, he delighted in watching her eyes closed and her head tilted to the side.

"Very good, Nik," she breathed softly, and he loved to hear her use his nickname like that.

"You like to be touched here?" he inquired, already knowing the answer, but needing to hear her say it. He squeezed softly and watched her bite her lip.

"Yes," Caroline opened her eyes again, focusing back on him. "And that is lesson number one for you, my student. Any place on a woman's body that enjoys your touch, will also enjoy your mouth."

He needed no further prompting. He dove forward, taking the breast that wasn't in his hand in his mouth, biting and sucking on it like he'd done with her neck earlier. A sharp cry from Caroline registered in the back of his mind, but he was more preoccupied with the hand that had threaded through his hair and yanked him back harshly. He looked up confused, wondering where he'd gone wrong.

"Lesson number two," she tried her best to sound displeased with him but she was breathing harshly nonetheless, "We do not dive in like beasts, with teeth and tongue. You must be gentle with woman's body and build up to a rougher touch so as not to shock her."

"My apologies," he became the picture of contrition as she pressed him back to her chest. He was careful to use more tongue and less teeth this time, dancing around the edges before laving at the marks he made on his first attempt. Her sounds were much more delightful this time, soft moans and gasps escaping her. He noticed also that her hips would subtly shift when he reached a particular spot, which felt wonderful against his throbbing cock. Each rock of her hips against his made him more desperate, and he centered all of his attention on the spot driving her movements.

She grabbed for his free hand, moving it under her dress to press in between her legs. He was surprised to find so much heat and wetness there. He'd heard stories of course, but the reality was vastly different. Caroline showed him how she liked to be touched, dragging his fingers across her center to settle against a place that had her voice pitching quietly.

"Lesson number- oh," she didn't get the words out as he pressed his finger against her harder. "That- that is a very important part of knowing how to please your lover. Always find this place first, Niklaus, before you begin your lovemaking. It will be- very useful to you later."

Caroline gasped out the words as if she was having a hard time creating them. Niklaus noticed that the movement of her hips had become nearly frantic against his, and he leaned back to watch her writhe. Her face was scrunched up as if she were in pain, but her head was rolling around on her neck in pleasure and soft mewling noises escaped her as she moved. This was what he'd been desperate to know, to see, all those times he'd watched Caroline shamelessly flirt with courtiers. How she looked and moved and breathed when she was in the throes of passion. It was the one thought he'd never let himself ruminate on because if his imagination had come anywhere close to the reality…

He groaned, lifting his hips to meet her and returning his mouth to her breast. They rutted against each other like animals, the heat building and their soft groaning the only sounds in the room. This was divine, this was everything he'd never dreamed about. Why, why, why, had he never bedded a woman before if this was what he'd been missing?

Caroline, sensing that he was close to his end, pushed his hand away from her center and his mouth off her chest. He tried to push back, but she used all her strength to pin him to the bed, and he obeyed. She was the instructor here, no matter how much he imagined he didn't need to be told what happened next. She made quick work of the strings that held his remaining clothes on, and he felt a surprising surge of satisfaction when she smirked with approval at seeing him naked. Her underdress remained pooled at her waist, but she moved so she hovering just over him.

"Normally, a man enjoys the superior position," she whispered against his lips, and he felt her heat against the tip of him. "But for this time, I think I'll control the matter to get us both what we need."

"Is that another lesson?" he chuckled through the lump lodged in his throat.

His hands turned to claws on Caroline's hips as she slid further onto him, teeth grinding together to keep from shouting at the feel of all that heat and wetness so completely encasing him.

"No," Caroline sat up fully now, keeping him laid out beneath her. "No more lessons, Niklaus. Just enjoy yourself."

She started to move and he thought he might die. The length of him pressed inside her, so tight and hot. It was amazing. It was too much. When she drew herself up on her knees only to sink back down on him, he groaned harshly. Again, he needed that again. His hands told her so, urging her to go faster. And faster she went. Up and down Caroline moved, rocking back and forth on him to bring herself that rubbing he remembered his hand providing earlier.

He gazed up at her, and she was a vision. Blonde curls falling loose from the elegant style she'd worn earlier, breasts bouncing at the speed of her thrusts, and best of all, her eyes locked on him. As if she couldn't bear to look away from the man moving inside of her. He watched her bring her own hand down to the place they were joined, and her mouth fell open as she touched herself. He batted her hand away at once, finding the place she'd shown him and circling it vigorously with his own fingers. Caroline keened, choking out little sobs and tangling a hand in her hair. He pressed harder.

The sounds she was making and the feel of her against him... this was all hurtling to an end that he'd met before, many times in the confines of his own bedroom as young boys were wont to do. But this was so much more intense. So much more addictive and enticing and everything he'd never known he needed.

"Caroline- my god," he swore as he pushed up to meet her on her way down, reaching impossibly deep inside her. She must have liked that because her head flew back and she lost her rhythm for a moment. It made him see stars too so he continued with it again and again.

It was barely two strong thrusts later before he felt the familiar tightening below, and then he was shouting his release. Profanities mixed in with her name and pleads for more. Begging her to never stop. His hips hammered upwards, desperate for more friction, more wetness, more Caroline. His lover continued to slide easily against him, prolonging his pleasure. And in the midst of it all, he felt her walls grip him tight, over and over again. Her small screams and clenched eyes let him know that she must be feeling the ecstasy too.

When her hips finally stilled, he thanked the lord, as any more sensation might have had him begging her to stop. She sank down to lay her bare chest on his, and he didn't mind the weight at all. Who needed blankets when you had a naked Caroline Forbes to drape over you? He tried to raise his arms to wrap around her, but the damn things stayed glued to the bed while he caught his breath. Like she'd sucked the life right out of him.

Eventually he managed to tangle one in her hair and turn her head towards him for a lazy kiss. "How many lessons are there Mistress Caroline?" he murmured against her lips and felt her smile at her new title. Tutor indeed.

"Oh there are hundreds," she answered.

"Hundreds? Pity we only covered a few tonight." Niklaus was digging, and she did not disappoint.

"Yes," Caroline sighed sadly. "I'm afraid you're a very poor student indeed. I'll have to see you back here tomorrow night if we hope to make any progress."

They both smiled like idiots, and Niklaus had never looked forward to lesson more.

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**So yeah, the manip essentially made Klaus look like a bit of a proper gent and Caroline like a sultry temptress. So I ran with that :)**

**And yes, there is a Frozen reference in here. Sue me. **


	2. Part Two: Reign

**Title**: Part 2: Reign

**Disclaimer:** Everything TO or TVD related belongs to the CW

_**A/N: I didn't even think there would be a second part to this, and then inspiration struck. Now it's going to be a three parter. Dammit. Who thinks I can scam queencmikaelson into making me a manip for the final installment? Enjoy the smut, you heathens. Once again, no judgment on historical inaccuracies, this was literally thrown together in 24 hours.  
**_

_**Happy birthday livingdeadblondequeen! This one is for you :)**_

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Part 2: Reign

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And so the lessons continued.

He learned how to bring her to the brink of completion only to deny her at the last moment. He learned that the tassels on her bed were not merely decorative. He learned you didn't need to see your lover to be able to please her. He learned that she had an amazingly talented tongue. Indeed the first time she took him in her mouth, he thought the entire castle might have woken with how loud he became.

Caroline taught him everything she knew, and they discovered a few new pleasures along the way too.

The memories of their time together were a comfort on nights like these, when frivolous parties kept them from lounging in bed for hours. Instead, they were corralled to separate corners of the dining hall, kept away from each other with company far less pleasurable.

He watched her lounge against the nearest fireplace, the typical gaggle of nitwits paying homage to her beauty. She soaked it in, as always, throwing coy smiles their way. Those men knew nothing about her. Not her strange humor or her strong opinions. They didn't know how she talked in her sleep or that she would not dress before having her morning tea. She was a stranger to them. As strange as if they'd never spoken to her at all.

Niklaus let it all go on in good humor. She was not his wife after all, and as far as anyone at court knew they were nothing but reluctant family friends.

Friends indeed.

It wasn't long before Caroline's eyes met his, for the fifth or sixth time that hour. She'd taken to sharing these little looks with him, almost as if to reassure him that he was the one she truly wanted. And perhaps it was true. Or perhaps he was just another fool caught in her web.

The man - a boy really, a simpering child - sitting closest to her reached out and curled a lock of her hair around his finger before tucking it behind her ear. Caroline reached up and grabbed his hand, keeping the delicate smile on her face all the while. To any observer, it might look like she was desperate for his touch. But Niklaus saw the harsh line of her jaw and the sharp purse of her lips as she whispered to him. He saw the man's face contort as she squeezed too hard. When she finally let him go, he excused himself rather quickly, stuffing his no doubt broken fingers into his pocket.

That was their one rule.

He would not touch another and she would not let another touch her.

They'd shared their bodies with one another, and for however long it lasted, they would share them exclusively. When she'd first laid out the rules of their engagement to him, he'd scoffed at the notion that they needed parameters to this dance of theirs. It seemed like everyone else at court operated just fine without rules and stipulations.

"And that is exactly why we need them, Nikalus," she'd explained, still sprawled out on his chest from their second round of lovemaking that night. "How is it you think I keep my honorable standing here at court? I've certainly not had dozens of lovers, but I've had my share. And I managed to walk away from each one because of the rules implemented to keep our reputations intact."

"I assumed you simply…" he didn't quite know the proper way to finish his thought.

"What, that I simply fucked them into obedience?" Caroline was thankfully laughing and not hitting him, so he tried not to be shocked by her language. "Oh my Niklaus. My body is a weapon, no doubt, but a paltry one. Once the bed is behind him, a man might find it hard to remember exactly why it's in his best interest to keep our indiscretions secret."

Niklaus understood of course. He would never think to brag to his brothers or his few friends about sharing Caroline's bed. It was not in his nature, and they might become suspicious that he was suddenly willing to share details where he hadn't before. Other men though, without the promise of soft sheets and softer flesh right in front them… they would be tempted to speak of their conquests to anyone that would listen. He could certainly imagine spending hours describing the perfect shape of Caroline's breasts or the sounds she made as she fell apart beneath him.

He distracted himself from the thought of her doing the same with others by brushing back a lock of her hair that was tickling his nose. "So what is it you say to them then? What keeps their mouths closed?"

"It varies. Blackmail is standard, but I find it boring and tedious. For the most part, we each set a standard, and when it is no longer acceptable to either of us, we part ways. No one is ruined and no one looses a hand."

Ah. Niklaus had forgotten she had the ear of Queen Elena. One wrong word to her childhood companion, and any of Caroline's suitors would face the chopping block if she gave enough cause. "So what will your rules be for me? Threaten to have me castrated?"

"Heavens no, what a waste that would be," her devious smile widened a bit, and he preened at the praise. "And they're not my rules, they're ours. We are partners in this Niklaus, on equal footing."

He scoffed at the idea that he was her equal in any way when it came to the bedroom. "Yes, that felt very equal earlier, when you had me pinned to the bed."

"Hush you," Caroline scolded. "The rules are simple. We each get to make one or two, and we each abide by them."

"I don't have any rules for you. This is your game, not mine."

She tutted at him, rolling her eyes. "I'll go first then. While we carry on together, you will not do so with others."

"What, no rules against bragging about how I've had my wicked way with you?" he teased.

Caroline laughed along. "That's the last thing I'm worried about from you. You're not a gossip, Niklaus. And if anyone's had their wicked way…" her fingers skirted down to his stomach.

"Enough, you temptress. What else?"

"If you decide you'd like to take another lover," she continued, "Then our time will be finished. Understood?"

"Understood," he answered, wondering why on earth he'd seek out another woman when he had her in his bed.

"And your rules?" she prodded him.

"I told you-" he stopped short at her glare. Impossible woman. "Very well, I'll steal yours. No more men for you, love. I will not watch them paw at you while I sit idly by and pretend not to notice. If my body is yours then yours is mind. Agreed?"

He ran his hands over her bare back as he waited for her answer, reveling in the thought that all of this naked skin now belonged to him. Each curve and dimple, every crevice and freckle. His. No one else would see it, touch it, pleasure it. Caroline would be his. For a time.

"Agreed," Caroline smiled up at him, pressing kisses down his bare chest. And then lower still.

It had been difficult at first. The flirting had not stopped, and he had not stipulated that as part of their bargain. They had agreed to carry on as normal, and that meant Niklaus was left brooding in a corner while Caroline had a jolly time with her suitors. It was made easier by her hidden glances and the fact that nearly every night he got to hear her screaming his name to the heavens. She was a marvelous tutor and he'd become quite talented at the act over time.

His only worry was that one of these men would actually start to pursue her with purpose. A rich son of a titled lord with the intention of marriage? That would make a mess, wouldn't it?

Which was the exact reason that he was watching Lord Liam Mackenzie so closely tonight.

The shy lad was on loan from Scotland, a rare visitor from the North. He stood to inherit half the Highlands when the time came, and he'd been smitten with Caroline from his first night here. Rather than the typical young man looking for a good time with the most popular lady at court, Liam Mackenzie had proven to be quite the timid thing, endearing himself to Caroline almost immediately. There were no drunken card games or playful gropes from Liam. There were simply walks in the garden and quiet conversations before supper. Maybe a horse riding lesson or two.

Niklaus was displeased.

They'd made rules about physical infidelity, not emotional. He did not delude himself into thinking he did not care for Caroline. Months spent in her bed had proven otherwise. A fondness had developed on both sides, which made the burning rage at Liam's advances as painful as they were fierce. And unfortunately for all parties involved, there was absolutely nothing to be done about it.

Caroline would surely not appreciate him interfering with her first worthwhile prospect in so many months. She didn't need to marry right away, but she needed to marry. And young Mackenzie was the perfect candidate for her. Intelligent and handsome, but modest and polite. Someone she clearly got on well with, who could also provide her with money and status. The perfect suitor.

The perfect suitor who lived in Scotland.

Niklaus had never really considered that Caroline might marry a foreigner. But she was close to the crown, in birth and friendship, and the crown needed Scottish allies. Liam Mackenzie taking an English bride would be a coup for Elena's power plays. If Caroline was amenable, the Queen would happily marry off her dearest friend to gain Scottish support. English nobles were genteel and respected, but Scots were brutal. Strong. Not a bad ally to have on your side when your own nobility whispered with traitorous unrest.

His chest tightened painfully as the prospect became all too real.

Caroline marrying. Caroline leaving for Scotland. Caroline leaving him.

He grabbed for another cup of wine, his mood souring even more when he realized it was filled with the Rhenish that Liam had brought with him for the party in his honor. The Scots either had no palates or they'd mistaken the wine for hard liquor when they were packing.

"Will you dance tonight, Lord Mikaelson?" a sickly sweet voice asked besides him, forcing his attention away from the object of his affection.

Tatia. Oh bother. If the girl hadn't been the first cousin of the queen, her presence would never have been tolerated at court. She was an insufferable little twit, with nothing between her ears but thoughts of dancing and dresses. And sometimes not even that. Even the most desperate of men stayed clear of her and her suitor-happy father, lest they be caught in a courtship with the awful girl.

"I do not plan to dance tonight, I'm afraid," Niklaus searched the room for someone to fob her off on. Elijah perhaps. His eyes fell back on Caroline and Liam, noticing with more than a bit of displeasure that the Scotsman was leading his lady out to the dance floor. And she was letting him.

"I hear there will be an offer of marriage for her soon," Tatia whispered, standing far too close. Her eyes tracked Caroline and Liam along with his, not noticing the way his brow furrowed and his frown deepened. "He returns home in a fortnight and he plans to do so engaged to one Lady Caroline Forbes. Scandalous, is it not? That a woman of her... tastes would snag a respectable husband so quickly."

Proof positive that Tatia was a complete waste of his time. Caroline would have told him if she sensed Liam was ready to propose. They'd spoken of him before, and she'd been open and honest about the progress - or lack thereof - of the relationship. She had not sounded enthusiastic.

"I believe you are mistaken, my dear."

"Surely not," Tatia giggled, daring to rest her hand on his. "My father was present when Lord Mackenzie asked the queen for permission. And it was _heartily _given. My poor cousin seems desperate for support, and I'm sure Caroline will be more than adept at... swaying her new husband's loyalties."

He struggled not to slap Tatia's hand away. How typical of such a rash girl. Discussing matters of state and marriage with a man she barely knew. What if he'd been a French spy? Or worse, loyal to the nobles who wanted Elena out of power. The things he could have done with that information. Yes, that was why he was so angry. Because Tatia had put her queen's affairs in danger. Not because she was an insufferable gossip, with no sense or propriety to speak of. Not because his worst fears were realized.

Caroline had been claimed.

"Are you sure I cannot persuade you to dance?" she begged, completely oblivious to the mess she'd just caused.

A flash of blonde hair among the dancers drew Niklaus' eyes to Caroline once more. He grabbed Tatia's hand and quickly pulled her along with him. "Who am I to refuse?"

He led his new partner out to the floor, making sure to keep in time with the other dancers movements as he slid in behind Caroline and Liam. If she was surprised to find him in the group when she turned, Caroline didn't show it. She smiled at him generously, circling and turning as effortlessly as ever. Skirts swished and music jangled, and Klaus tried his hardest not to concentrate on the way Liam's hands slid back and forth along Caroline's as she twirled across the floor.

Tatia laughed merrily next to him and the sounded grated on his already torn nerves.

Finally the moment he'd been waiting for arrived, and Caroline glided past Tatia as they switched partners. This section of the dance would be brief. He'd have to make it quick.

"Leave after the next dance. Out the north hallway. I'll be waiting," he murmured in her ear as they stepped together and apart again.

"I can't leave yet, Niklaus, that would be rude," she grinned knowingly. "I'll let you know when it's time."

He let his hand slip at her next turn, causing Caroline to stumble slightly. With a quick hand, Niklaus reached out and grabbed her, pulling her flush against him. Any onlookers would think Caroline had simply had too much to drink and stumbled into her aggravated dance partner. But he knew Caroline could feel every inch of him pressed up against her, including the hand that had 'caught' her under her breast after the fall. He slid that hand slowly down her stomach as she righted herself in his arms.

"I need you, Caroline," he whispered into her hair, loving the way her eyes drifted shut at his plea.

She swallowed softly, moving away and resuming the steps. "Watch for me. Don't follow directly after."

Niklaus grinned at his victory. They each returned to their original partners, circling and spinning a few more times before ending the dance in a bow. Tatia moved into position for the next piece as the music started again, but Niklaus was too busy watching Caroline scurry out the North doors, clutching her head as if it ached something fierce.

He tried to wait, he really did.

But the next piece was not even halfway through before he was rushing out the doors himself, paying no mind to who he pushed past to get there.

It took no time at all to find her waiting for him in the alcove next to the chapel of all places. Temptress indeed. They would be completely exposed here, should anyone decide they needed to leave the party and pray for their sins. Unlikely, but not unthinkable. All the better. It tended to get both of their blood flowing whenever there was a chance of being caught.

Caroline turned at his approach, opening her mouth to scold him for his public groping no doubt. He cut her off at the pass, not slowing his walk at all as they collided, mouths fusing together, his hands going everywhere. She let him carry on like that for barely a moment before turning away to catch her breath.

"What have I told you about attacking a woman like an animal?" she berated him half-heartedly. "That held all the seduction of a bellowing bull."

"You also taught me that sometimes a rough touch is preferably to a gentle one," he growled, pushing her firmly back into the shadows of the alcove, waiting until her back hit the stones to lunge at her again. His kiss was brutal, all teeth and tongues, one hand digging into her hair to keep her firmly in place. Her mewling noises could have been ones of pain if he hadn't felt her tearing his clothes off of him in eagerness.

Caroline pulled away, gasping sharply and working at the fastenings of his trousers. "Such a good student."

Niklaus grabbed her wrists, stopping her progress. In a move too fast to blink, he spun her around to face away from him, planting her hands on a window ledge in front of them. There was no need to order her to keep them there; she understood perfectly. He bit and sucked at her neck, using both hands to pull up the back of her skirts. He ground his hips forward and reveled in the way she spread her legs to feel him better, crying out sharply at the contact.

"You like me rough, don't you, my love?" he breathed the question in her ear, waiting for her answering nod. "You'll like me tonight, I promise you."

They were both breathing heavy already, but he managed to get her underthings off and his own pushed aside to make the way easier. It was no longer a task to find that place between her legs she'd shown him on their first night, rubbing her a few times to make her ready. With a grunt, he plunged himself fully inside her, hearing her cry of pleasure mix with his own.

Normally, he'd whisper sweet nothings in her ear at this point. Tell her how wonderful she felt, how beautiful she looked, how he'd longed to be inside her all day. Not tonight. Tonight he simply grabbed her hips and canted them backwards, thrusting into her hard and fast. Her grip on the ledge in front of her tightened, and she started to rock back against him, her breaths escaping her in sharp moans each time he pushed back into her.

"Oh, oh, Niklaus," she keened.

He drove into her faster, making sure to pull her hips back against him with each brutal thrust. It sent her screaming and begging, and he'd never heard anything sweeter. He was struck with the sudden urge to sink his teeth into her neck hard enough to bruise. There was a compelling voice in his head telling him to mark her in a permanent and visible way. Mark her so everyone at court knew she was taken. His. He settled for sneaking a hand back to her center, circling and rubbing at her to increase her pleasure. To increase her desire for _him._

"You're mine," he moaned the words into her hair, letting his teeth scrape softly against her ear. "Say it."

"Nik, please," Caroline's incoherent sounds of pleasure were normally a symphony to him, but not this time.

He punished her with a particularly brutal shove of his hips. "Say it, Caroline. You're _mine_."

"I'm yours, oh god Nik. I'm yours!" her last declaration ended with a high pitched moan as he felt her walls squeezing him tight. Milking him dry with her pleasure as she came apart in his arms.

She was a sight to behold, every time. Her face pressed up against the window, her hands like claws on the stone beneath her. Caroline was a vision. Her words did him in, but he lasted long enough to feel her reach her end. He let loose at the wonderful, blissful sensation of her heat and wetness gripping him tight, as if to pull him in even further. It sent him over the edge, and all he knew for the next several moments was his own heavy breathing and the pistoning of his hips. _  
_

When he finally came back to himself, spent and humming softly, he was still wrapped around Caroline. He slid out of her and helped her arrange her skirts, loving the heavy flush of her cheeks that let him know he'd pleased his lover quite well tonight. It was a great feat indeed to make Lady Caroline Forbes blush.

"I fear I'll be out of lessons to teach you soon, if you keep on like that, Niklaus," she chuckled as she helped him fasten up his coat again.

Rather than feeling amusement at her joke, there was only the deepening feeling of dread in him. A painful reminder that there would truly be no more lessons between them if she was married off and sent away. Caroline must not have sensed his mood because she only leaned up and gave him a sweet kiss but passionate kiss. She cupped his cheek with her hand, giving him one last caress before peering out of their hiding place to check for onlookers. She threw a heated look over her shoulder as she left, promising him she'd be waiting in his bed when he arrived in his rooms later.

And then he was left alone. Surrounded by the smell of sex and perfume. In an empty hallway.

* * *

"He wants to marry me?"

The idea was as shocking as it was inconceivable. Caroline let the idea swim around in her head for a few moments, trying to ignore the way Elena was practically bouncing in her seat. The queen's private sitting room was packed with cackling friends and ladies, making their conversation safe from prying ears, but if the queen didn't at least try to keep a bit of decorum about her, they'd surely attract some attention.

"Lord Mackenzie wants more than that," Elena explained quietly, "He wants your hand as part of a larger deal that would essentially join our two houses. An alliance, Caroline! One that would give my claim to the throne an incredible amount of Scottish support."

"But I'm not a Gilbert..." Caroline couldn't quite grasp the reasoning behind it all. Or why Elena seemed to think this was a done deal.

"Not technically no, but you're a close enough relation to count. Closer than some like to think they are," Elena whispered quietly, her eyes seeking out Tatia across the room. A closer cousin in blood to be sure, but Elena couldn't stand the girl. "The Highlands, Caroline. You would be the Lady of nearly half of Scotland!"

She had to take a few deep breaths before all of that sunk in. "Scotland. Goodness."

Elena seemed to pick up on her less than enthusiastic response. "I thought you'd be happy? You two seem to get along so well?"

"Yes we do, of course. I just..." Caroline drifted off. All those walks and evenings spent together. He'd shown almost no romantic interest in her whatsoever. There was a friendly camaraderie to be sure, but she'd thought it ended there. He liked her jokes and she liked his smile. They spoke of politics and religion, not sonnets and love. Most important of all, there was no spark of intimacy between them. She'd honestly thought he was simply looking for a friend to help pass the time during his visit. Not a wife. "I suppose I just didn't think his feelings were so romantic. I certainly didn't think he was considering marriage."

She caught Elena's troubled look. The Queen had obviously hoped that this engagement was going to work out in her favor. She needed it to, if they were being completely honest. But she would never lock her friend into a marriage she didn't want. Caroline could trust in that at least, no matter how dire Elena's need for allies.

"Tell me honestly," Elena asked, "Is he who you want?"

Caroline sighed dramatically, "He's everything that I want. He's thoughtful and witty. He comes from a good family, with plenty of wealth and social standing here and abroad. Plus, he's young and healthy, so God willing I won't be a widow twice over. He's perfect."

"Yes, he's what you want, Caroline, but that's not what I asked. Is he _who _you want?"

Caroline hesitated. Without even thinking, she found her hand wandering up to grasp the locket which always hung between her breasts. The small portrait inside was one she had commissioned shortly after her wedding night. It was a rather romantic etching of the husband she'd lost not even two years later. The man who'd shown her more kindness and love than she'd ever dreamed to hope for, and who had been taken from her entirely too soon.

Elena noticed her movement, and reached out to grasp her other hand. "I miss him too, you know. Edward was a great man, and a wonderful husband. Better than I could have ever chosen for you. But don't you think you owe it to yourself to love again, Caroline? He'd want that for you. A family and a home of your own."

"Funny of you to mention it," Caroline smiled fondly at the thought of loving again. "Those were his last words to me. He told me, 'Love passionately, or not at all, my dear. If I meet you in heaven, and your next husband is a dullard, I shall never forgive you.' Silly man."

Elena laughed,"That sounds like Edward."

Clutching the locket tighter, she couldn't help but feel like she'd be betraying her first love's wishes, marrying a man she felt so indifferently to as Liam Mackenzie. There was the potential for love, to be sure, but there was also something else. Her arrangement with Niklaus was no longer just an arrangement. What had started out as an innocent flirtation had pulled her under a wave of longing she had never known before. Her Nik was brash and unpredictable. He'd fiercely attack a man in combat, and then leave roses in her dressing rooms. He could be the gentlest, most unsure creature she'd ever known, and then take her roughly in a corridor like he had last night. There was no rhyme or reason to him, and it thrilled Caroline to know he was entirely hers. The feelings she had developed for him were not unrequited either, if she was any judge of character. Recently she'd been debating just what to do about their unfortunate situation.

She could not marry him. Not if she wanted to honor her family with titles and political advantage. Not to mention, Niklaus was likely to be disinherited of any land or money when his father died, spiteful man. He was not a good prospect for any lady at court, much less one so close to royalty.

But still. The sinking feeling in her stomach at the thought of moving so far from him... it was unbearable. Even if their tryst came to an end, she didn't know if she could live without seeing his smile or hearing his voice every day. Passion was easy to come by. But love? The kind she'd felt growing inside of her since their first night together. Could she leave that behind?

"Do you mind if take time to consider his offer, your majesty?" Caroline's voice shook with the heaviness of her decision.

"Of course, my friend," Elena assured her. "He's not leaving for some time yet. I will buy you a few days to think on it."

Caroline squeezed her hand in thanks, and then stood abruptly. "I'll retire for the afternoon, I think. My head is spinning, and I'll be terrible company for the rest of the day."

Elena dismissed her, and she took her leave. It was some time later, after she'd let the two sides of herself rage at each other over and over again, when she ran into the object of her contemplation in the gardens. Niklaus looked to be in a sour mood, but then he typically was before seeing her. The man had a strange disposition that hovered somewhere between annoyance and anger. It had been what pushed her away from him at first, and surprisingly what drew her back in later.

"I didn't think I'd find you out and about at this time," Niklaus approached her, careful to keep his distance in such a open space.

"I was with Elena earlier, but I needed the fresh air to clear my head. I supposed it is getting rather late though," she hadn't noticed that the sun was beginning to set. If she stayed out too much longer she catch a sickness, and then she'd have a headache for an entirely different reason.

Niklaus found himself shifting silently on his feet, uncomfortable in her presence. "Do you have much to think on, as of late?" he framed the question innocently enough but he would not meet her eyes.

"I believe so," she turned to face him fully. "You've heard about the offer from Liam Mackenzie then?"

He nodded briefly, not wanting to risk betraying his true feelings on the matter with words. When she did not speak either, the silence started to become unbearable. "Quite an illustrious lord you've caught in your net, sweetheart. Congratulations."

It was clearly the wrong thing to say, if her hurt expression was any indication. "I've not caught anyone, his proposal was as much a surprise to me as it is to you, I promise."

"Let it never be said you'd break a promise," he couldn't stop the insult from slipping out. Her words should have eased his suffering, but they inflamed his ire instead. He hadn't been angling for a fight when he followed her out here, but it seemed he would get one.

"You know better than to speak to me like that, Niklaus."

"Like what? Like a whore?" He spat out, and Caroline gasped at the insult. She turned from him, intent on walking away, but he followed after her. "How am I to know you've kept to your end of the rules, then? A marriage proposal from a man you've known less than a month? I find myself wondering what exactly could have inspired such feelings in such a short time."

"Not me!" Caroline shouted at him. "We are barely friends, I've not idea what gave him the idea that he could- no, I don't have to explain myself to you. How dare you! I kept my word, and I won't have your insecurities thrown in my face as if they're _my fault_. You're being awful, Niklaus. Leave me alone."

He huffed at her dismissal. Like hell. "Not until you tell me what your answer is. Will you marry him?"

Caroline opened her mouth to shout back, but nothing came out. She stood there gaping at him for a few moments, and he could not believe his eyes. She was considering it. She was actually going to marry that quiet little creature from the north. She was going to move to some Scottish castle, have dark haired children, and live happily ever after with Liam Mackenzie.

"I don't know. I don't know what to do." The fight deflated out of her as quickly as it had come. "Elena needs this from me. My queen needs this."

"And what of what you need? You don't need some simpering idiot who can barely spark a drop of heat in you," he delighted in the way she hung her head at that implication. "You'll be bored within a week, we both know it. He's not the one for you."

Caroline threw her hands up, the picture of impropriety in such a respectable woman. "And you are?" she laughed at the thought. "You've no fortune, Niklaus. No political standing. You're only at court at the request of your brother, who you seem determined to enrage at every opportunity. I have no future with you."

"As if I'd have you! I'd never-" he stuttered out excuses that sounded false to both of them.

Caroline stepped in, her face pull of pity and sorrow. "I'm sorry, Niklaus. I cannot be yours."

He was left there reeling, as she reached for his hand and gave it a small kiss. A cruel mockery of the courting that no doubt awaited her in the following weeks from her new suitor. After one last sigh, she turned from him and scurried out of the garden, nearly knocking an approaching Tatia over on her way back into the castle.

"What on earth has her in such a mood?" Tatia's voice carried over to him. "I for one would be in much higher spirits if I'd just learned I was going to own half a country."

There she went again, running her mouth where anyone could hear her.

A sudden, heinous thought entered his mind. Too shameful for even the most villainous and faithless of monsters to consider. He couldn't. He wouldn't. But that last pitiful look Caroline had given him was seared into his brain. _I cannot be yours._

"Lady Tatia, I wonder if you might take a turn about the garden with me?" Niklaus called out to her before she could run off again. She looked delighted at the prospect of attention and quickly danced over to loop her arm through his. "Tell me my dear, can you keep a secret?"

* * *

**Ruh roh. Klaus is about to get himself in some seriously hot water. **

**And with all the pointless wank about this Liam kind (he's Jesse 2.0 guys, calm down) I thought I'd throw his boring ass in there as Caroline's lackluster suitor. I also had some creative help from Outlander, the new Scottish time traveling drama on Starz. Check it out!  
**

**No promises on when Part 3 will appear, but damn if this little drabble turned one-shot turned three-shot isn't taking over my brain.**


	3. Part Three: Succession

**Title**: Part 3: Succession

**Disclaimer**: Everything TO and TVD related belongs to the CW

_**A/N: And with this last part, I end my sad little foray into Tudor Klaroline world. Who knows, maybe we'll see them again when and if I ever write the Original Caroline fic I promised you all ages and ages ago.**_

_**In this chapter's beautiful graphic (by the lovely queencmikaelson), Colin O'Donoghue will be playing the part of Liam because we both decided he was exponentially hotter than that guy they cast on TVD. And damn, does that man know how to smolder...**_

* * *

Part 3: Succession

* * *

"I hope you're happy, Niklaus," Elijah's voice barely reached him through his drunken haze. "You've thoroughly ruined your chances at ever gaining favor at court."

"Enough, Elijah. I've no need for more lectures," Niklaus could barely see straight at this point from all the wine and whiskey and whatever else he'd consumed tonight coursing through his veins.

Much of the past week had been spent in the same fashion. Niklaus would attend whichever party or small gathering was being held in the castle, in the desperate hope that Caroline would be in attendance also. She never was. He'd missed every chance and every opportunity to speak with her about the matter that had befallen them. And so, finding himself alone yet again, Niklaus would imbibe enough alcohol to make himself forget that he'd not only ruined his chance at a good future, but the chance of ever winning Caroline's heart for himself. It was a funny thing; hindsight. He'd never realized how close he was to that goal until it was ripped so forcefully from his grasp.

His brother would not be deterred by his drunkenness though. "What were you thinking? Slandering the name of the queen's closest friend? Do you have a death wish?"

"It's only slander if it's false."

"Ha!" Kol chose that moment to interject. "As if a lady of Caroline's breeding and good judgment would ever stoop to consorting with you. Try again, brother."

Niklaus just grunted, choosing to ignore the both of them.

It hadn't taken long at all for his little rumor to circulate through court. Tatia was nothing if not reliably dimwitted and open mouthed. Half of the nobles already thought that Caroline was a harlot, so finally receiving confirmation just allowed the news to spread faster. People were decidedly less hesitant to gossip when they believed the subject material to be true.

And he could pinpoint the exact moment when Caroline found out that he'd betrayed her.

The night after he'd spoken to Tatia, guilt and resignation gnawing a hole through his stomach, he'd watched as Elena abruptly left her spot at the head table to approach Caroline. She'd whispered barely a moment in her ear before Caroline's eyes snapped up to meet his from across the room.

Niklaus was knocked back by the shock and confusion he saw there. But those were the least of his troubles. What was worse, was the humiliation and betrayal that colored her face. Hot tears filled her eyes and her jaw locked in place to keep them at bay. As Elena no doubt went into detail of the horrible things he'd said, grasping her hand tightly to comfort her friend, Caroline refused to look away from him. Their gazes stayed connected like that for far too long, him staring steadfastly back at her, and Caroline looking like a lost child in the middle of a crowded square. And yet, she had not let one tear fall. She had set her shoulders back, excused herself with Elena, and locked herself away from the prying eyes of the public.

That had been three days ago.

Three days with no sight of her nor a word of her feelings or future. Caroline was either too desperate and downcast to leave her rooms, or she was playing her cards close to the vest. Niklaus wanted to believe the latter, as it was too painful to imagine her so desolate that she could not venture out to face the world. That would have been too much for him to bear. No, more likely she and Elena were figuring out what their next step was.

Discredit the rumor? Unlikely to happen since it was not only true, but it had come from Niklaus' lips themselves. The word of a nobleman, no matter how unreliable, was not going to be overturned by two ladies. Not even if one of them was Queen. Contain it? There was even less of a chance of that, as Tatia could and would tell anyone that would listen, even after Elena had ordered her to keep quiet. Nothing excited the girl more than a secret, and one kept under royal decree... well it was too tempting to keep to herself. It would have been a waste anyways. The news had already reached the one person that it mattered to most.

Lord Mackenzie was still out and about, looking less than pleased with the recent turn of events. A week ago, he'd expected to leave court with a respectable fiancee and a new English alliance. Now, he was looking at a shaky attachment to a disgraced woman and a treaty in jeopardy of falling apart. Niklaus half expected the man to duel him for Caroline's honor, but the challenge never came. The attachment must not have been too deep if the bastard wasn't even willing to fight for the woman whose hand he'd requested. Coward.

"So tell me, Nik, was she everything you ever dreamed of?" Kol, mocked him mercilessly. "We've all heard the stories of what a generous lover Caroline is, but I'd love to hear a firsthand report?"

Kol's laughter was cut off by the sound of choking as Elijah grabbed a hold of his collar and squeezed. He leaned in close to whisper to his younger brother - admonishments about propriety and respect of a lady's honor no doubt - but Niklaus did not care to hear them. He decided instead to leave his brothers behind to argue over the state of his debauchery, while he tottered over to the nearest table of food. The liquid in his stomach was lonely now that he'd consumed enough wine for three, and if he didn't want to spend the rest of the night heaving, he'd better start sating that hunger.

It was with a bit of shock that Niklaus looked up and found himself in the presence of Liam Mackenzie as he began picking through plates meats and breads to fill himself up.

"Lord Mikaelson, if I might have a word in private?"

"What's private anymore?" Niklaus refused to meet the man's eye as he looked over what he assumed was plate of poorly cooked lamb. "The entire English Court knows our business by now. See how they stare, wondering which of us will cast the first blow?"

Liam's eyes followed his gaze to the guests circled behind them, noticing how quickly they cast their eyes away at the first sign of being caught gawking. Indeed, it seemed the entire room was holding its breath to see what new gossip this exchange would provide.

"All the more reason to conduct this meeting in a more discreet location," his companion suggested.

Niklaus sighed, grabbing the nearest plate of sweet bread off the table. "Fine then. Lead on."

Liam nodded in acceptance, walking quickly and surely out of the main hall and into one of the quiet rooms off to the side. A sitting room this grand was surely for Queen Elena's private use, but seeing as they'd probably both angered her beyond reason lately, there was no harm in using it now. In for a penny, in for a pound, as they said.

"I assume you're here to inquire if all the gossip is true?" Niklaus asked, plopping down on one of the velvet chaises.

Liam sighed, "I could be here to arrange a date to run you through. Did you think of that?"

Niklaus laughed loudly at the suggestion. "If you were a fighting man, you would have challenged me the moment you'd heard, not nearly a week afterward. No, you'd never fight a duel and risk your family's estate falling into lesser hands. After all, you _are _your father's only heir."

"You've certainly done your research."

He had. The moment Liam Mackenzie had shown any interest in Caroline, he'd made it his business to know everything about the man. His father was Ian Mackenzie, a vagabond and a scoundrel, but a fierce fighter. The old man had spent some time as a resident of the English court himself many years ago, but he'd been sent away after one too many lifted skirts and subsequent altercations apparently. He'd retreated to Scotland where it had taken him too many years to produce an heir so gangly and weak as this one. Liam was his father's greatest achievement and that was not saying much. The lad did not excel at politics or sport, poetry or service. He simply sat quietly in his place. A wallflower, but a pretty one. His good looks were his only merit, and he could not even use those to his advantage.

His only aspiration it seemed was to find a wife, fulfill his duty as a Mackenzie, and sit on his ridiculously large plot of land for the rest of his life. Niklaus could not claim a huge amount of ambition himself, but at least he had more than this lump.

"I make it my business to know what all new faces are up to at court," Niklaus answered slyly.

"Especially when those new faces are so often in the company of Lady Caroline, no?" Liam asked, getting straight to the point. "I may not be many things, Lord Mikaelson, but I am observant. I noticed you from the moment I saw you with her, and it was not difficult to surmise where her heart lay."

Niklaus ground his teeth. "And yet you asked for her hand anyway? Knowing she belonged to another?"

"On the contrary," Liam shrugged, "She belonged to no one. And I was not looking for a wife who would love me. That would be a fool's errand."

"Would it?"

Niklaus did not understand. How would it be foolish to give Caroline a loving marriage that would keep her in comfort the rest of her days? A grand Scottish castle, a doting husband, and a few adorable children running around the courtyard. It sounded like every respectable man and woman's dream, so why did Liam suddenly look so uncomfortable?

"I won't explain myself to you, as you've proven to be quite the unfaithful confidant, Lord Mikaelson. All you need know is that I was looking for a contract, not a companion. A wife that would strengthen my ties with England and provide an heir for my family. That is all."

Niklaus narrowed his eyes, but left the topic alone. "And now I've gone and botched it with my lewd suggestions that Caroline is not the virtuous lady your family no doubt sent you down to acquire. How dreadful of me. I'm afraid you'll have to look elsewhere now."

"Oh, I'm not so sure," Liam reclined on his chair slowly, grin sliding onto his face.

His head snapped up at the implication. Surely Liam could not still be considering taking Caroline as his wife? She was ruined. Wholly and completely. There could be no question that she was an unacceptable bride for any man of noble standing. Even her small widow's fortune would not be enough to ignore a tarnished reputation.

"What do you mean?"

Liam still smiled, content as ever. "You needn't be bothered about it. All I need to know is that you will keep your mouth shut on this topic from here on out. If you are questioned about it, you will give only glowing reports on Caroline's virtue and integrity. Her strong moral character and ever present grace. If so, I will honor the contract I made with your Queen, and Caroline will regain her good standing after she spends a few years out of the country and all of this blows over. Do we understand each other?"

"You can't. Your family would never-"

"My family has skeletons of its own, Lord Mikaelson," Liam cut him off. "They will accept what I tell them to accept. We can be wed before we ever enter Scotland, and then what will they do about it?"

Niklaus huffed out his anger. This was all going terribly wrong. Liam was supposed to abandon Caroline, not marry her even more quickly. "And if I don't comply? If I slander her even further, so that not even a few years abroad could restore her good name?"

"Then you would be sentencing the woman you love to a most horrible life," Liam lost his light-hearted tone. "She would be exiled from all good company, left to die an old widow in poverty at her family estate. Absolutely alone in the world."

"Then I'll marry her myself."

Liam laughed, "As if she'd have you? Even if she did, and the queen consented, the two of you would live out your days despising one another. Resenting the cruel twist of fate that led you to marry the one you loved, but hate the one you married."

There was surely steam coming off of him, Niklaus was so unspeakably angry. He feared for a moment that there would be a drunken brawl, right here in this sitting room. Liam had backed him into a corner, with no options left. The best course of action was to let Caroline ride off to Scotland with her new husband, to a fate and a future that seemed less and less lovely by the moment. Whoever had pegged this man as a political dunce was surely out of their skulls. He knew a trick or two and he was using every weapon in his arsenal tonight.

"Why are you doing this?" Niklaus asked. "You don't love her. I don't even know that you like her. Why can't you find yourself another? Any other."

Liam rolled his eyes. "Love. A ridiculous notion. I need a wife who specializes in discretion, and Caroline is just that. You may not have been able to hold your tongue, but she certainly can, and that's an admirable quality. And now I have the leverage I need to force that discretion from her rather than request it. Many thanks, Lord Mikaelson, for providing me with the means."

"And just what do you have to hide?" he tried not to let his horror slip through in that question.

What on earth had he done? It was becoming more and more apparent that Niklaus had just sentenced Caroline to a life that she didn't deserve or understand. Liam Mackenzie was proving to be quite the snake in the grass, and for all her guile and trickery, Caroline would not fair well with someone like him. Caroline needed love and devotion. A partner who would be her equal, not a manipulator who would wield her like a weapon.

"That will be between me and my wife, I'm afraid." Liam answered, standing up now that their business was concluded.

"Wait, you cannot just-"

"I can do whatever I please. I'm the wronged party here, and I'll be considered a saint for taking Caroline on in spite of this truly terrible gossip. Good day, Niklaus." His given name was spat out like a curse before Liam disappeared out the door.

* * *

It had been a remarkably easy decision to wallow in her despair for the first few days of her imprisonment. And an imprisonment it was. Elena had wisely decided that keeping Caroline tucked away while the controversy blew over was the best decision for them all. It would prevent further embarrassment should an uncomfortable situation arise, and it would create reasonable doubt if she and Niklaus were separated from on another so easily.

The only problem with the plan was it left her days empty. Freed up all of her time and allowed her to fixate on the horrible betrayal she'd incurred.

She'd been so sure. So sure Niklaus was trustworthy.

He loved her, she had been so certain of it. A man that in love would never have... could never have...

The thoughts spun around in her head over and over again. Had there been some sign that she missed? Some hint that their relationship was based purely on the physical release they provided each other and not on the intimacy and emotional connection she thought they'd created? Had all those talks into the small hours of the morning been nothing more than a ruse constructed by him to deepen her trust? To create the illusion that she was safe and loved again, for the first time in years.

She couldn't stomach that possibility. Not when every fiber of her being was screaming at her otherwise.

But Caroline had been a trusting fool. She'd trusted in a man's love with no ring on her finger, a error her mother had warned her against since she was a child. Men were to be feared, respected, and manipulated, yes. But never trusted. Not until the law ensured your security, and even then wariness was encouraged. She had not feared Niklaus, and it had led to her ruin. No respectable man on the continent, let alone the country would touch her now. She'd known, of course, this was a risk when she'd decided to pursue her particular lifestyle. A promiscuous woman at court was not hard to find but was impossible to marry. It was why so many of her friends ended up with squires or second sons. Status was reserved for those too virtuous to besmirch or too clever to be caught. Apparently she was neither.

A soft knocking drew her out of her misery.

That would be Elena again, come to plot with her on how best to rectify the situation with Liam Mackenzie.

"Only come in if you've brought enough wine to get me happily and atrociously drunk, Elena. I'm awful company tonight," she called miserably.

The door cracked open, but it was not the Queen who greeted her. Standing in the doorway, his head hung low and his arm folded contritely behind his back, stood her Niklaus.

"Forgive me, I-"

"No," Caroline cut him off. "I do not forgive you, and I never shall. Get out."

"Caroline-"

"Leave immediately or I'll scream for a guard and then we'll spin this story of ours in quite a different way. They chop off the hands of men who force themselves on ladies at this court, you know."

Niklaus held up his hands in surrender. "Caroline, please understand-"

"Understand?" Caroline practically screamed at him. "How can I understand? What you have done is despicable! I am humiliated and disgraced all because of your cruelty! What is there to understand or forgive?"

"You cannot forgive me, I know that," he spoke softly, closing the door behind them for privacy. "But I'm not here for forgiveness. I'm here to warn you that you're in more trouble than you know."

She sulked back in her chair as he made his way over, intent on ignoring him. "Oh, I think I know exactly the kind of trouble I'm in, thank you very much."

"Trust me, you do not," there was such menace in his town as she'd never heard before.

Still, Caroline could not help but scoff at his poor choice of words. "Trust you? Well that should be simple. You've only betrayed me in the worst way imaginable, and ruined my chances at every marrying again. It should be easy enough to put my faith in you after that. Of course Niklaus, I trust you completely."

He ignored her sarcasm, even having the audacity to look affronted. "I broke no promise, if we're technical about it. Your rules were only that I refrain from bedding another woman, not that I keep our affairs secret."

_Crack!_

He'd had that slap coming, and they both knew it. It was the wrong thing to say, but somehow Niklaus never could resist a chance to raise her hackles and start an argument between them. It more often than not led to some very aggressive and passionate lovemaking, but she doubted they'd end up there tonight.

"You're right!" Caroline giggled hysterically, taking her throbbing hand back hoping her laughter would not turn to tears. "I suppose I was asking to be ruined then? Trusting a man's honor and discretion above my own better judgment. The blame rests solely on me, I know."

Niklaus knelt in front of her, his face the picture of anguish and apology. "The blame is entirely mine, Caroline. I do not deny it. I made a mistake that will haunt me the rest of my life. But I'm here to make sure it won't haunt you too."

"What do you mean?" Caroline asked, suddenly unsure of her resolve. She would not let his soft voice and apologetic words sway her. Never again.

"I've just spoken to your future husband, Lord Mackenzie. He intends to use this gossip to his advantage, to trap you into a marriage with him."

Caroline could not believe her ears. "Trap me? I'd be lucky if he ever looked at me again after this. What on earth are you talking about?" It was then that she smelled the all too familiar stench of alcohol, so powerful it smelled as if he'd bathed in the stuff. She made certain to let her disgust seep into her tone, "You're drunk. Of course, you'd never actually apologize on your own-"

"Believe me, Caroline, I'm as sober as I'll ever be right now," Niklaus grabbed her hand, more serious than she'd ever seen him. He looked terrified, in fact. More so than the time Kol had been stabbed dueling or that one visit from his father at court. His eyes urged her to listen and believe him and - against her better judgment - she found herself squeezing his hand back.

"Go on," she prompted.

Relief filled his face. "That man has some secret. Some hidden affair or agenda that he would not tell the Queen about when he asked for your hand. I'm going to look into it, try to find some way to free you from this obligation, I swear to you. Just promise me that you will not marry him. Not until we know there is no other option for us."

"Us?" Caroline's voice shook on the word. "There is no us, Niklaus. You made sure of that."

She watched as the words hit him like a physical blow. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth against the harsh reality that he'd lost her forever, and the harpy in her relished in his pain. How satisfying it was to see him hurt as she'd been hurt. Humiliated as she'd been humiliated. And yet, after all of it, she could not help but feel for her Niklaus. The man who'd loved her so beautifully and intensely these past few months. It seemed her heart was not as cold as she would like it to be.

"My foolish pride has lost you forever then? It figures," Niklaus was brave enough to look her in the eye as he admonished himself.

Caroline hesitated. She wanted to send him away. Tell him that yes, she was lost to him forever, and nothing could ever make her forgive this betrayal. But the hopelessness lurking behind his eyes stayed her cruel rejection. And the hunger to know once and for all what had caused this awfulness. "Why did you do this to us, Niklaus? Were you not happy, as we were?"

"I was a fool," he admitted angrily.

"Yes, yes, that's very clear," she brushed his comment aside. "But why? Why did you have to destroy everything we had?"

Niklaus grasped her hand tighter, and she thought that if he had not been on his knees already, he would have dropped to them now. "You know why," his sad and desperate voice reached her at barely a whisper.

"Say it," she demanded. "I need to hear it, or I might convince myself that it is entirely made up in my own head."

He locked his jaw as if fighting back the words which were desperate to escape him. It was not long before he lost the battle. "Because I am a jealous and cruel man, who would rather see you ruined than in the arms of another. Scotland, Caroline. He was taking you away to Scotland and away from me forever. You may not want to be mine, but you cannot be his. You _cannot._ It makes me a selfish bastard, I know, but I love you too much to ever lose you to him or any other."

As angry as she was, as betrayed and hurt and devastated as she'd been these past few days, her heart practically _soared_ at the confirmation of his feelings. Niklaus loved her as much as she loved him. His actions had been the result of a broken and bleeding heart, not a cruel and malicious attack. She couldn't tell if she wanted to slap him again or throw her arms around him, so she settled for something in between.

If Niklaus was surprised at the sensation of her lips on his, he didn't show it. He met her stroke for stroke, hands curling into her hair and around her waist. She held every bit of power in their embrace, looming over him and pushing and pulling him this way and that. The kiss was fierce and hungry, as much a punishment on her end as an apology from his.

Their kiss was interrupted by the sound of the door creaking open and a sharp gasp coming from their intruder.

"Guards!" Elena called quickly out into the hall. "How dare you, Lord Mikaelson! How dare you come here and force yourself on a lady you've already disgraced so hatefully! I should have you hanged you foul, evil little-"

"Elena!" Caroline finally came to his rescue. He'd never raise a hand to a woman, much less royalty, but the Queen's shrill screaming was tempting him. "He is not here by force, I... I want him here."

The Queen looked confused for moment, and her guards took that opportunity to burst in with swords drawn. Niklaus stood in front of Caroline, purposefully shielding her body with his even though it was him the soldiers were after. Caroline pulled at him to get him to move away, but he stayed planted in front of her, as if his feet were glued to the stones beneath his feet.

"You want him here?" Elena narrowed her eyes. "Him? Have you lost your mind, Caroline?"

"Please dismiss the guards, and I'll explain," she offered quietly, trying to show respect while still holding her ground.

"The door stays open," Elena demanded as she waved them off. The sound of their clanking weaponry and armor could be heard disappearing down the hall. Far enough to give them their privacy, but close enough to be called back if necessary. Elena took a turn about the room, and then primly seated herself on a chair by the window, the picture of authority and irritation. "Explain."

"Your Majesty I meant no offense-" Niklaus began to plead his case but cut himself off when Elena raised a hand to stop him.

"Not you, you buffoon," Elena ordered him silent, "Caroline?"

Niklaus seethed but stayed quiet. He had to remind himself that his was his Queen, and he needed to show her the deference her title deserved. All the same, the aggression and bitterness that seemed permanently rooted in him longed to lash out at being forced to submit to anyone or anything. Funny, how that had never been a problem for him with Caroline.

He missed whatever excuse Caroline drummed up to explain away his presence, too caught up in breathing through the rage to listen closely. Perhaps she told Elena of his confession of love, of maybe her own - he did hope he hadn't missed that - but whatever she'd said seemed to soothe some of the Queen's hatred. He did manage to catch the tail end of it though, "... so if could please refrain from executing him, I would appreciate it greatly."

"You are far too forgiving, Caroline. It will get you into trouble one day," Elena warned.

"I think it already has," Caroline smiled, linking her fingers through his behind the folds of her dress.

The Queen sighed harshly, rubbing at a spot between her eyes as if staving off a headache. "Every time I think I have a handle on this debacle, it turns itself on its head. What am I to do with these latest developments?"

"Developments?" Niklaus asked, but snapped his mouth shut at Elena's glare. "If I may ask," he bowed his head in contrition, grinding his teeth all the while.

Elena reach into the pocket of her dress and pulled out a folded letter, passing it to Caroline. "Go on then, read it," she prompted her friend.

As Caroline unfolded the letter, Nikalus recognized the broken seal of the Mackenzie clan on the front of it. No doubt this was the blackmail attempt that Liam had spoken of earlier. He'd actually been brazen enough to put it in writing? Niklaus couldn't tell if the man was a genius or a lunatic. The two often fell too close together for comfort, in his experience.

"Goodness," Caroline clutched the letter to her chest as she finished reading and flopped down into a chair, "That's certainly a... development."

"Would one of you be so kind as to enlighten me?" he was getting antsy and they could both see it.

Elena was the one to explain, "That is a letter form Lord Ian Mackenzie. It seems he never sent his son Liam to negotiate anything. The scoundrel has burned through the inheritance that his mother left him, and he knew he was soon to be disowned by his father. Liam hoped to create strong enough ties with England that casting him off became impossible without directly snubbing the English crown. Smart boy."

Niklaus felt validated at the confirmation of Liam's deplorable character, if a little confused. "Why would Ian Mackenzie disown his son? It seems a harsh punishment for spendthrift behavior."

"Because he is illegitimate," Caroline filled in the blank for him. "This letter confirms it."

Niklaus felt his own eyes widening with the realizing. Ian Mackenzie was admitting that his only son and heir was not his son and was throwing the bastard on the fire? He could not help but feel a bit sorry for the lad, given that he was in similar circumstances, but a quick reminder that Liam had tried to use Caroline to buy his title back was enough to kill any pity for him.

"I had planned to use this information to force Liam into upholding his contract with Caroline, but now..."

"Now what?" Niklaus demanded more urgently than he should have. Elena couldn't actually be considering giving Caroline away to such a devious and dishonest man? Where was the concern and protection that she'd just shown him earlier? Where was the outrage?

Elena looked up to Caroline and the girls shared some wordless conversation.

"You want me to chose, don't you?" Caroline questioned.

The Queen simply nodded, "It does seem the most logical plan. Either choice puts me in a position of power over the Mackenzie clan.

"Enough please, ladies!" he could not stand being left out any longer. "What decision, Caroline?"

His lover simply gestured to the chair besides her, inviting him to sit down. Never a good sign, but he sat anyways. "Lord Mackenzie doesn't only plan to disinherit Liam, he plans to name a different heir. An illegitimate son of his own."

"Well, well," Niklaus chuckled, "That family seems to get more scandalous by the hour. So you're going to marry your friend off to this new heir then? Without even meeting him?" he questioned Elena.

"On the contrary, I'm going to let her chose which son she'd like to marry. Quell your outrage until you hear why please," Elena commanded before he could voice his protests. "You might have heard that Ian Mackenzie spent a great deal of time in England many years ago. During that time, he managed to woo an English Duchess out of her marriage bed and into his arms. Their affair resulted in a bastard that Lord Mackenzie seems intent on legitimizing. But the man is an English citizen, for all intents and purposes, so the request falls to me."

Well that was a steal, Niklaus thought resentfully. Elena could give Caroline to Liam and hold the threat of his illegitimacy over his head to ensure loyalty, or she could marry Caroline to this new bastard and put an Englishman at the head of the Mackenzie clan. Either way, the Queen held all the pieces in this chess game. And she was giving Caroline free reign to move them about as she pleased.

But that did not solve his dilemma. Either way, Caroline was still set to marry a complete stranger and then be whisked away to the north.

His ire must have shown on his face because Elena merely rolled her eyes. "You are particularly dim tonight, sir. Will you not inquire who this second son is and put us all out of our misery?"

He furrowed his brow, insulted at the Queen's candid attack on his intelligence. Who could...

Elena's pointed look answered any doubts he had. Niklaus nearly choked, "Me? You cannot mean-"

"Welcome to you birthright Niklaus Mackenzie," Elena smiled victoriously as the news crashed over him. "I knew there was something about you that I detested. It's obviously the Scottish blood in you, which sets my teeth on edge."

His head was spinning. All his life he'd lived with the uncertainty of his lineage. There were times when he was sure Mikael had spawned him, that violent and jealous streak running through both of them like an indestructible chord. And other times, he would look at the man he called father and see a complete stranger staring back at him. A man who could not share blood or family or any ties with him at all. And now there was proof. A Scottish Lord who wanted to bestow on him all the rights that he would have surely been denied as the third son of a man who thought of him as a dog to be kicked rather than a child to be cherished.

The realization that he could now contend for Caroline's hand in marriage hit him with all the force of a thunderstorm. He had status, he had wealth, he had power. He had everything he needed to win this woman sitting before him. But only if she chose to bestow it on him.

He was suddenly glad he was sitting down.

"So, Caroline," Elena brushed a bit of nonexistent dirt off her skirts, as if they were discussing the weather or their supper plans. "Who will it be? The man who lied about his intentions and background, or the man who ruined your good reputation with the entire English court? A poor selection, I know, but a decision must be made nonetheless..."

* * *

**1 year later...**

"We will be late for our own dinner party if you keep on with that," her husband warned her half-heartedly.

Caroline continued to trail kisses down his bare stomach, letting her tongue peak out to taste his skin every now and then. She delighted in the way he groaned as she began to use her teeth, laving the bite marks afterwards. He grabbed her arms and pulled her up so she was straddled across him, her hungry lips far from his tempting skin.

"Ruin my fun, why don't you," Caroling pouted, making sure to wriggle against him in her favorite kind of way.

"That's what husbands are for, my dear. To ruin their wives fun at every possible turn," Niklaus laughed but made no move to still her hips.

She continued to press against him, reveling in the the way his breath hitched and his eyes filled with need. This was, without a doubt, her favorite part of being married to this man. His appetite for her had not diminished in the slightest after they'd married and made an honest woman of her. On the contrary, it had increased. She had only to mention her new status as his wife, or a friend would mistakenly address her as Lady Mikaelson, and he would be on her in an instant. Cramped hallways and dimly lit corners were for lovers and secret affairs, but it seemed they were also reserved for the scandalous Scottish heir and his new wife.

The Mackenzie name was safe and sound in this distant castle of theirs in Scotland, but Niklaus would always be a Mikaelson at heart. And speaking of Mikaelsons...

"My brother and his new wife will not be pleased with us for delaying their meal again," Niklaus scolded her as he gripped her thighs on either side of him. "You know how Katerina takes these things as a personal snub."

Caroline groaned, "Odious woman. I've never met someone so disagreeable in my life."

Her husband grinned at their shared displeasure with the newest addition to their family. "Oh, I don't know. I rather thought the two you had a few things in common."

"Bite your tongue," she took his chin her hand, shaking him slightly for his teasing. "Must we put up with her for another evening? Can't we just stay up here and entertain each other?"

The strap of her gown slid purposefully off her shoulder, but Niklaus' eyes quickly shifted lower when she started to slowly slide her skirts up to reveal the pale skin of her bare legs. "We had this very same argument last night, Caroline."

"And I remember it ending so well," she smiled down at him, biting her lip. "Would you like me to remind you?"

She reached down beside them to grasp his hand in hers, bringing it up to the bust of her dress. She helped him make quick work of the ties there, letting her breasts spill out of the restraining material. Resigning himself to a cross brother and even more cross sister-in-law, Niklaus dove forward to take one breast in his mouth. He delighted in the satisfied chuckle the slipped past Caroline's lips.

"Damn you, wife," his muffled curse was lost in the valley of her breasts. "Is there no end to your appetite?"

Her sweet laughter came out a bit breathier than normal. "It's entirely your fault. I'm with child because of _your _appetites. Who am I to help it if carrying your son has made me into a wanton."

"As if you weren't always one," Niklaus teased, but he could not help the satisfied rumbling in his chest at the thought of Caroline's pregnancy. Still too early to announce the happy news, they had to content themselves with their little secret for now. But every time he saw her hand drift to her stomach or a smile light up her face, he felt a surge of pride. Caroline was his wife and the mother of his child; she was literally filled up with him, and soon everyone would know it. They would see her rounded stomach and know that it was his child growing inside of her. There were few more blissful sensations he could imagine in the world. "And who says it will be a boy after all?"

"Ha, your father for one," Caroline let out a fit of laughter. "If Lord Mackenzie finds out he went through all of that trouble to legitimize you only to receive a female heir-"

"Then we'll just have to try again," Niklaus hushed her. "And again-" he pressed a kiss to her left breast, "and again-" then to her right. Caroline lazily rolled her hips against his, pressing and pushing to stoke that wonderful heat between her legs that his kisses were inflaming.

When she twisted herself just right, she gasped to feel the beginnings of his hardness rub against her center. A delicious wetness pooled between her legs, hotter and more needy than usual. It had been this way ever since she'd first suspected she was pregnant. She found herself needing Niklaus constantly, and even the slightest brush against her core could have her on the brink of completion. It was delectable and frustrating and wonderful all at once. She ground herself harder against him, already finding that slippery slope to orgasm growing close.

In one move, Niklaus had both hands cupping her rear, pulling her more firmly against him. She cried out in pleasure, but it quickly turned to shock when she found herself forfeiting her position on top. Her back hit the sheets and in almost the same instant she felt the tip of Niklaus' erection press into her. She whimpered, desperate for more, and a silent scream fell from her lips as he pushed himself inside of her. His answering groan was loud in her ear, but it only added to the wonderful sensation.

Her husband began to slowly rock in and out of her, puffing hot breaths against her neck, his hands clutching at her thighs. Caroline pushed her hips up urgently against him, trying to get him to increase his pace even just a bit, but he stayed steady and slow. This had been another unforeseen consequence of her happy news. The man who used to push her up against walls and make love to her brutally now treated her as if she were made of fine china. Groaning in frustration, she let her nails claw into his back and her teeth scrape against his shoulder.

"Please, Nik," she was a whimpering mess at his gentle treatment. "More."

He moaned at her plea but made no move to fulfill her request. He either enjoyed torturing this begging out of her, or he was going to remain a polite and restrained lover for the remainder of her pregnancy. She hissed in irritation. This would not do.

"Niklaus," Caroline's voice shook with need, "I am yours. _Your_ wife, carrying _your_ child, sleeping in _your_ bed every night," she started to breathe heavier as his thrusts sped up just the slightest bit. "Show me that I am yours. Show everyone. Please Niklaus," she was desperate and begging but it seems to do the trick.

With one last pathetic shake of his head, her husband lost all pretense of control and began pounding into her with much needed fervor. Caroline couldn't silence her heavy, sobbing breaths or the occasional scream of his name. The whole castle, servants and family alike, no doubt heard their vigorous lovemaking, but Caroline could not care. Especially when Niklaus tilted her hips up to receive him better and hit that perfect spot inside of her that sent her reeling.

She keened and panted her release, fisting her hands in the sheets and his hair and anything she could get her fingers on. The waves crested over her, longer and more intense than she was used to, and somewhere in the back of her mind she registered Niklaus' release as well. The satisfied groaning in her ear and hot splash of wetness inside of her telling her that her husband had come just as powerfully as she had.

When he was able to muster the strength to roll off of her, she could see he was content enough to be drifting off to sleep. "No, no," she shook him, "We still have dinner with Elijah and Katerina, and Kol should have arrived this afternoon. You don't get to leave me alone with them, don't you dare."

"Perhaps you should have thought of that before you got it in your head to seduce me," he answered with heavy eyelids.

"Yes, you protested so vigorously, didn't you?"

Niklaus mumbled out a crack that escape her, but it was probably for the best. The set about changing out of their rumpled clothes, Niklaus helping her with her corset and Caroline doing up the buttons of his coat. It was all so domestic and so wonderful that Caroline thought she'd never get tired of the little moments like this.

"Very well then wife, let's go face the wrath of my family. I'm sure Katerina will have a few choice words for her hosts."

"As you wish husband," she smiled to see the twinkle still left in his eye.

As he chased her out the door and down the stairs to the dining room, she had to wonder at the surreal circumstance she'd found herself in. Yes, married life in the Mikaelson and Mackenzie clan was certainly an odd one. But at the end of the day, it seemed well worth it to enjoy a dinner with her new brothers, a bickering match with her new sister-in-law, and a satisfied smile with her new husband.

* * *

**So it all got ultra fluffy and predictable towards the end, but I couldn't help it. This weekend was so depressing, I needed a good bit of happily-ever-after to get me through. Kudos to my one reviewer that totally called Klaus' real lineage making him a Scottish heir. I thought I was being sneaky, but you called it!**

**I hope you enjoyed this ridiculous little Tudor tryst. It turned out far longer and smuttier than intended :)**


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